Whistle to Work Podcast
“Whistle to Work” delves into the journey of transitioning from corporate life to entrepreneurship in a portfolio career. Mike and Zed share personal anecdotes, professional insights, and strategies for thriving in new communities while effectively managing career shifts. The podcast provides a welcoming and supportive space for learning and personal growth.
Portfolio careers cannot rely on your past role and ‘brand’ alone. In this series we’ll focus on how you’ve got to “show up properly”. That means, purposefully, organised, prepared, knowledgeable, and a myriad of other things that we will talk about during this series. It's serious stuff but not dull.
The primary objective of “Whistle to Work” is to assist individuals in navigating portfolio career opportunities. The podcast aims to share real-time narratives on managing portfolio careers, impart productivity, personal branding, and targeted learning principles, and foster a community of engaged listeners.
Hosted by Zed Vakil and Mike Anderson
Connect with Hosts
Zed Vakil https://www.zarirvakil.com/
Mike Anderson https://dottt.co.uk/
#Portfoliocareer #mentoring #fundraising #careertransition #startup #scaleup #entrepreneurs #fractionalwork #communitybuilding #greatresignation #careeradvise #entrepreneurship
Whistle to Work Podcast
From Corporate to Community: Shalini Khemka CBE on Building the E2E Ecosystem and the Future of Fractional Work
In this episode of "Whistle To Work," hosts Zed and Mike interview Shalini Khemka CBE, Founder and CEO of E2Exchange. Shalini shares the journey of building E2E into one of the UK's most dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystems, supporting over 24,000 SMEs and enabling £230 billion in economic impact. The conversation covers her transition from a corporate career in banking and private equity to founding E2E as a passion project. They discuss the key challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs, the support E2E provides (including events, fundraising, and NED recruitment), and her personal reflections on the business's growth and her goals for international expansion and digital transformation. Shalini also offers valuable wisdom on the mindset needed for raising investment and the importance of having strong fractional support in a business.
Timestamps
[01:32]From Private Equity to £230 Billion Impact: Shalini Khemka's shocking transition and the massive economic force behind E2E.
[04:46]The Moment She Saw 'Real' Entrepreneurs: How a career in banking led to a pivotal realisation and the founding spark for E2E.
[10:46]The New Rules for Scale-Ups: What are the most urgent challenges entrepreneurs are facing right now (Hint: It involves AI, internationalisation, and talent).
[14:34]What a £750 Membership REALLY Gets You: E2E's core pillars: exclusive 5-star events, direct investor connections, and fractional expert recruitment.
[17:27]"I Don't Feel Like a Success": Shalini's remarkably honest reflection on the 15-year journey and why her biggest vision is yet to be achieved.
[19:06]The Founder's Biggest Regret: The one crucial strategic mistake she'd change to achieve 10x faster growth (A must-listen for all CEOs).
[24:29]The Political Fight That Saved Businesses: The untold story of how E2E successfully lobbied the government and sacrificed a board role to prevent a major tax increase.
[31:36]Major Announcement: Stepping Down and Going Global: E2E’s aggressive expansion plans into the Middle East and South America, and the new digital platform launching next week.
[35:00]The Mindset Shift for Raising Capital: Why you should only ask for "meaningful" finance, and the danger of raising small amounts based on tax breaks.
[40:55]Pitching Like You're Doing Them a Favour: The counter-intuitive attitude that will make top investors want to back your business.
Connect with Shalini Khemka
https://www.linkedin.com/in/e2exchange/
Connect with Hosts
Zed Vakil https://www.zarirvakil.com/
Mike Anderson https://dottt.co.uk/